Wyndham launches Planet Hollywood Hotel development

1 April 2011

Launching a major development effort for one of its newest brand offerings, Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies and the world’s largest hotel company as measured by approximately 7,210 hotels, today announced plans to manage three new-construction Planet Hollywood hotels in Central America, the Middle East and Asia.

The proposed hotels will be located in Doha, Qatar; Panama City, Panama; and Boao, China. Each property will be managed by Wyndham Hotel Management, Inc. or one of its sister companies.

The announcement marks the inaugural expansion of Planet Hollywood Hotels following the signing of a license agreement in September 2010 granting Wyndham Hotel Group exclusive rights to franchise Planet Hollywood branded hotels and provide management services globally.

“When we entered into the agreement to franchise and manage the Planet Hollywood Hotels brand just a few short months ago, we pledged to bring this dynamic, entertainment-based offering to key business and leisure destinations around the world,” said Eric Danziger, Wyndham Hotel Group president and chief executive officer. “To have three properties in the development pipeline so quickly is an incredible testament to the power of the Planet Hollywood brand as well as Wyndham Hotel Group’s ability to develop hotels and grow brands globally.”

The Planet Hollywood brand was founded in 1989 by Robert Earl, chairman of Planet Hollywood International, Inc., Planet Hollywood Resorts International, LLC, and the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Planet Hollywood capitalizes on the global appeal of movies, sports, celebrity and entertainment-based themes.

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“We elected to work with Wyndham Hotel Group because of the company’s formidable scale and expertise as a global brand-builder, in an effort to further solidify the future of the Planet Hollywood Hotels brand,” Earl said. “I am delighted to see our strategy bearing fruit in such a short period of time and look forward to additional expansion opportunities in key markets.”

Located near Entertainment City, Qatar’s widely known theme park, the Planet Hollywood Hotel Entertainment City will feature approximately 300 guest rooms, restaurant, café, lounge, meeting facilities, fitness center, spa and pool. Owner Regency Group Holdings expects the hotel to open in 2014. The new hotel will expand Wyndham’s presence in Qatar’s capital city, joining the soon-to-open Wyndham Grand Regency Doha and the Ramada Encore Doha, both also owned by Regency Group Holdings, as well as the Ramada Plaza Doha.

The planned Planet Hollywood Hotel in Panama City will feature 309 deluxe guest rooms and oceanfront suites; two restaurants; spacious meeting, convention and event facilities; oceanfront business center; gym; pool; rooftop bar and terrace; and spa. Panama-based owner RG Hotels expects the hotel to open in the city’s Financial District in 2014. It will join Wyndham Hotel Group sister properties in Panama City: the Veneto – A Wyndham Grand Hotel, the recently opened Wyndham Garden Hotel Panama City and the 102-room Howard Johnson Panama City under development.

The proposed 350-room Planet Hollywood Hotel in Boao will become part of an upscale resort complex currently under development in China’s Hainan Island province that will feature multiple hotel, retail and entertainment venues. Facilities will include three restaurants, bar, indoor swimming pool, fitness center, spa and more than 3,600 square meters – or nearly 39,000 square feet – of meeting and event space. The Planet Hollywood hotel will join the 1,000-room Ramada Hotel & Suites Boao as well as the 300-room Wyndham Grand Boao Resort and Spa and the 106-room Wyndham Boao Resort, both currently under development and owned by Hainan Baolian City (Boao) Company Limited.

The addition of a Planet Hollywood hotel in China will strengthen Wyndham Hotel Group’s position as the largest U.S.-based hotel company in the country, where it currently franchises and manages 301 hotels representing more than 46,000 rooms under the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts®, Ramada®, Howard Johnson®, Days Inn® and Super 8® brands. The Planet Hollywood Hotel in Boao will become the fourth Wyndham Hotel Group property under development in the resort complex, joining the 1,000-room Ramada Hotel & Suites Boao as well as the Wyndham Grand Boao Resort and Spa and the Wyndham Boao Resort, both currently under construction.